


Through the Eyes of an Elf

by Yanana



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Cissamione, F/F, Oneshot, The evolution of Narcissa Black after the war, Through the eyes of her elf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:36:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29546652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yanana/pseuds/Yanana
Summary: Mistress was happier. Tobsy had been noticing a change in her behaviour for some time but couldn’t pinpoint it until it was impossible to miss. She addressed her politely now, not ordering her to perform tasks but asking Tobsy. Perhaps a certain colleague had something to do with that?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 22
Kudos: 138





	Through the Eyes of an Elf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [arcamenel_alatariel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcamenel_alatariel/gifts).



> arcamenel_alatariel put this idea in my head and I decided to write it. It's just a short drabble about Narcissa's transition from Malfoy Matriarch to Narcissa Black :) Hope you'll enjoy it despite it not having a lot of dialogue

Tobsy shuffled around the Manor, clutching her hands together. She had just displeased her Mistress and had to iron her hands as punishment. The elf shuddered when she remembered just how angry her Mistress had been. She knew the witch wasn’t very caring towards her, but ever since the war ended and she became a widow, her mood had grown more sour each day. Sour and unpredictable. Where she used to be the epitome of control and grace, she now often turned bitter and angry. And Tobsy more than often became the victim of her wrath.

The elf snapped her fingers to order the feather duster to start moving. Keeping the Manor clean was a fulltime job after all. She then proceeded to clean up the glass shards from the bottle of wine her Mistress had thrown at her head. Tobsy had thought that’s what she’d want when she arrived home after a horrible day, but apparently she had been mistaken. Her Mistress had taken one look at the elf before her magic had burst from her fingertips, her anger taking over.

Tobsy winced when she had to use her burned hands to perform more magic to cook dinner. Her Mistress had retired to the gardens for it always calmed her down somewhat. The elf felt nervous. Hopefully tonight’s dinner would please her Mistress and not aggravate her further. The water started boiling at the same time the oven pinged, indicating that it had reached the necessary temperature for the roast chicken. Tobsy shook the earlier events from her head and started focusing on her current task. She had learnt not to take her Mistress’ outbursts personal. It was how she was raised after all.

Tobsy had just put on some candles when her Mistress finally emerged in the dining room. As usual, she hadn’t bothered to change and took her place at the enormously large dinner table, covered in mud streaks and other filth from the gardens. She looked nothing like the poised pureblood-supremacist who used to breathe etiquette. The Elf shrunk in size when she felt two ice cold blue eyes stare at her in disdain. Her Mistress didn’t care for her. She only lived to serve.

***

Tobsy gradually saw her Mistress’ distress change from anger to frustration. More often than not she saw the blonde witch pace in her study, muttering silently to herself. It was this development in mood that also made for a change in behaviour from the woman towards her servant. She no longer threw things at Tobsy or insulted her or ordered her to find some adequate punishment for a non-existing offence. No, now she barely acknowledged her and when she spoke, it was cold and distant. Tobsy didn’t know for sure whether she liked this new dynamic better or not.

She had been ordered to fetch tea and when she popped into her Mistress’ office, the witch was currently throwing a hissy fit about the audacity of her colleague. Tobsy carefully placed the tray with expensive china on the desk before zapping away again. Despite only spending short amounts of time in her Mistress’ company, she couldn’t help but catch bits and pieces about her life. The woman had recently applied for a job after months of apathic mourning for the loss of her previous life. Not the life during the war of course, but the life where she was treated like nobility and enjoyed a rather big amount of power and wealth.

But the time for fancy parties and political games had passed for Tobsy’s Mistress. Her reputation had been tarnished beyond repair. Her money had been ripped away as part of her punishment for her involvement in the war and her own son had fled to another country when his father passed away, no longer being able to live in the house he grew up in. It had taken her Mistress a considerable amount of time to recover but she had managed to get a job at the Ministry of Magic and having a new purpose in life seemed to work miracles for the witch.

She started taking better care of herself again, tried to drink less alcohol and swallow less sleeping pills. Her appearance was on point again, immaculate as ever and she ate more, gaining some necessary weight. But a new life also came with new difficulties it would seem, for Tobsy’s Mistress did not like her new colleague one bit. From what the Elf could gather, her Mistress and this apparently insufferable witch shared a rather unpleasant history.

***

Mistress was happier. Tobsy had been noticing a change in her behaviour for some time but couldn’t pinpoint it until it was impossible to miss. She addressed her politely now, not ordering her to perform tasks but _asking_ Tobsy. There still was no warmth in her Mistress’ voice but Tobsy never got stuff thrown at her again. Even more, she was never asked to punish herself again even though she often did it out of her own accord if she felt like she was lacking.

Still the elf felt relieved. She hated seeing her Mistress in distress but she had seen her smiling more these past few weeks than during the years Tobsy had worked for her. Her outfits also changed. She was still dressed in expensive fabrics but her colour palette had gone from dark and distant to warm and welcoming. Mistress had even asked Tobsy’s opinion and the Elf could only agree with the fact that green suited the witch splendidly.

The frantic pacing in her office had also developed in a more healthy interest for work. Her Mistress often spend long nights behind her desk, passionately working, trying to impress her colleague who was doing the same in her own house. Tobsy often brought her Mistress tea late at night, despite not having been asked to do so. But her Mistress never told her to stop and the next morning, the teapot was always empty.

***

Tobsy fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. This new development was making her extremely worried as these past few weeks, her Mistress often came home late or sometimes didn’t come home at all. From what she understood, her Mistress had started dating again. And Tobsy would bet on her Elf-magic that the witch she was dating was none other than the colleague who frustrated her beyond words a few months ago. Of course, Tobsy remained silent on the matter. It wasn’t Tobsy’s place to feel smug about it.

Relief washed over the elf when her Mistress suddenly Apparated in the midst of the hallway, lightly swaying on her feet. Tobsy thought she was drunk but after closer inspection, she realized that her Mistress was drunk in love but otherwise as sober as an owl. The blonde witch hummed in delight while kicking off her heels and handing her jacket to Tobsy. When she smiled down at the elf, the magical creature nearly squeaked for she had never seen such warmth in those usually cold, blue eyes.

‘Tobsy?’

‘Y- Yes, M-Mistress?’

‘Would you be so kind and run me a bath? It would be the perfect closure of a perfect night.’

‘Of course, Mistress. Right away.’

‘Oh and I apologize for not informing you that I wouldn’t be home for dinner. I’ll make sure to tell you in advance next time.’

Tobsy felt her eyes bulge out of their sockets, ‘Thank you, Mistress. Tobsy doesn’t mind. Tobsy only wants to serve.’

Her Mistress frowned, ‘Yes, about that. Wouldn’t you want to be free?’

At these words, the elf threw herself at her Mistress’ feet and started sobbing. Her pleas to remain in service were barely understandable through her ragged breathing but her Mistress seemed to understand nevertheless. She raised her hand in an attempt to calm Tobsy down.

‘Tobsy, don’t worry. It was merely a question. For should you want your freedom, I’d grant it to you.’

‘No, Mistress. Tobsy wants to serve.’

The blonde woman nodded, ‘Very well, but you shall be reimbursed for your work from now on.’

Tobsy bowed and whisked herself away to the bathroom. With a second snap of her fingers, the tub started filling itself and a variety of bath salts floated to the edge before toppling over. Within seconds, a pleasant heat radiated from the now brightly pink coloured water before her Mistress appeared stark naked in the room. She sighed contently when she sunk into the water.

‘Perfect. Thank you, Tobsy.’

The Elf nearly stuttered. Her Mistress had never thanked her before. When she raised a hand to wipe at the tears that had gathered in her enormous eyes, her Mistress’s hand snapped forwards and grabbed her by the wrist. Tobsy shuddered at the contact for the skin of her Mistress was surprisingly warm instead of the coldness her pale complexion always represented. The woman in the tub was now frowning at the scars on Tobsy’s hands.

‘I don’t want you to punish yourself anymore. Do you hear me? No more punishments. Ever again.’

‘Tobsy understands, Mistress.’

Suddenly the vice-like grip on Tobsy’s wrist lessened a bit, ‘And I apologize for all the times I ordered you to harm yourself. I’ve been horrible towards you and while I cannot undo what I did, I can promise you to be better in the future.’

The elf didn’t possess the words to utter her gratitude but the way her always droopy ears suddenly perked up, made her Mistress smile.

‘Now, I’d like a cup of tea, please.’

Tobsy choked on a sob. First a _thank you_ and now her Mistress said _please_? This colleague must be quite a powerful witch if she had such a big influence on the stubborn and haughty witch that was her Mistress.

***

Tobsy had wanted to ask her Mistress how she could be of assistance the moment she heard the sound of Apparition in the hallway, but she refrained from doing so when she saw that her Mistress was not alone. The Elf nearly blushed when she saw the blonde witch passionately kissing a younger woman with brown, unruly curls. They both stumbled across the staircase, leaving pieces of clothing everywhere they went before disappearing into her Mistress’ bedroom.

Whilst Tobsy occupied herself with gathering the discarded clothing, she tried very hard to block out the noises that came from behind the closed door, but her big ears picked up on them despite her best efforts. It started with ragged breaths and soft giggles but quickly turned into loud whimpers and rather obscene moans. Tobsy shook her elf-head. Of course her Mistress didn’t have to cast a _Muffliato_ when she lived alone, but by the Elves, was she vocal!

Vocal _and_ energetic, Tobsy thought a bit grumpily when the first rays of sunshine woke her from her very short and interrupted night of sleep. Luckily her mood didn’t last long because when she popped into her Mistress’ bedroom with a tray of tea, some boiled eggs and buttered toast, she was greeted with a sight she could very much get used to. Her Mistress was reading the Daily Prophet, sitting upright, propped up against the pillows with a still sleeping, younger witch in her lap.

Her black and blonde streaks of hair just about covered her nipples but she was obviously naked underneath the sheets, as was the other witch who’s bare back her Mistress was caressing. The older woman greeted Tobsy with a nod, causing her reading glasses to slide off her nose a little bit. Tobsy beamed back at her before placing the tray on the side table and disappearing again. She was going to make sure that there would be a fresh stack of towels and some clean clothes waiting for their unexpected guest.

In the meantime, Narcissa Black had dropped the newspaper for what it was and softly awoke her girlfriend with a kiss. The brunette hummed before wrapping her arms more securely around Narcissa’s waist. She wasn’t much of a morning person even though the smell of breakfast convinced her to peek through her lashes. The loving gaze she received from the former Malfoy Matriarch was enough to fully wake her up. Hermione Granger giggled.

‘Good morning.’

‘Good morning, darling.’


End file.
